


Dark Paradise

by idrilhadhafang



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Angst, Force Bond (Star Wars), Kylo Ren Backstory, M/M, One-sided Kylo Ren/Rey, Past Poe Dameron/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Past Poe Dameron/Kylo Ren, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Pre-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:08:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25691809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: Rey learns more about Kylo’s past.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Ben Solo, Poe Dameron/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Poe Dameron/Kylo Ren
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13
Collections: Darkpilot Songbook





	Dark Paradise

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author’s Notes: Based on the Lana Del Rey song of the same name.

Kylo Ren asks her about Poe Dameron when he first appears across the Bond that night. 

”Are you honestly asking that question?” Rey says. 

”Yes.”

It’s looking in his eyes that Rey realizes something — he’s envious, if only because of that one brief moment of camaraderie she shared with Poe. 

”Are you really that petty?” she snaps. “Can you not tolerate the idea of Poe not being haunted by you? Being happy without you?”

She regrets it when she feels a flare of pain across the Bond. Hurt. She didn’t think that Kylo Ren was capable of such things, if she’s to be perfectly honest. She always thought he was the one to try and hurt her. Or anyone else. 

"I knew him,” Kylo says. “Before the interrogation.”

”What?” Kylo never even mentioned him. 

”You think that I would just tell my life story to everyone who wanted it?” Kylo says. "I knew him. I didn’t show you because, plain and simply...it brings up memories, best left forgotten.”

”Let the past die.” It’s something Rey still can’t wrap her mind around, the idea that Kylo would want to kill the past. 

Doesn’t the past mold us?

”Yes. Especially when it’s painful." A pause. “There was a boy. A very foolish boy, who wanted to be a pilot like his father. The boy had a friend, who wanted to be a pilot like his mother. It was one of the reasons they were compatible. Similar, if also different.”

”It’s easy to care for someone who's like you,” Rey murmurs. She thinks of the loneliness she sensed from Kylo — in the interrogation room, and in the hut on Ach-To. 

”The two boys were friends,” Kylo said. "And the foolish boy loved his friend, as one would love a god. No one loved the galaxy as much as his friend did.”

Rey snorted. “I never got that impression from Poe. Most of the time, he just seems...irritating.”

”He wanted to help people. His greatest fault and his greatest strength. He...” 

Kylo trails off. Rey can feel the hesitation in his thoughts, unspoken. Wondering if Poe would still love him after what he’s done. 

She wonders how Poe can be the only man who can get this reaction. 

”You love him,” she says. It strikes her in that moment that she’s almost jealous. Why? After all, she has no reason to be. And yet she is jealous. There’s nothing logical in it. Not that she can see. 

”For my part.” Kylo’s voice is softer than she’s ever heard it. It strikes her that this is him telling the truth; she wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth on Ach-To, when he said she wasn’t alone. It had softened her towards him more, knowing that he wasn’t incapable of compassion. 

This, though? This is real. This is something that Rey can imagine touching and holding. 

She remembers wanting to take his hand for a moment. Ben’s hand. The glimpses of Ben that she saw over their Bond. And it strikes her that this is Ben, as much as anything. 

”Did you want to torture him?”

”No.”

Images flit across the Bond. Snoke, giving the order. Threatening Poe with death. Self-loathing from Kylo after the act was done, knowing he had been weak. Knowing that he hadn’t resisted enough. 

Is there a word in Basic for...that?

”Tell him that,” Kylo says. “At some point. Tell him it wasn’t his fault. That he was strong to the end. Please.”

Rey nods. 

She doesn’t know the right way to tell the truth. But Poe deserves to know, deserves to heal. 

It can start with a message. 


End file.
